A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



COURSING 



We cannot claim that the Palatinate county 

 has ever taken high rank as a coursing territory. 

 Nor is the history of public coursing of the hare 

 in its wild state within its confines distinctly 

 traceable to any period earlier than a century 

 ago. The more important meetings extending 

 over two, three or more days, that were wont 

 to be held in the neighbouring counties of the 

 north and on the Scottish border always over- 

 shadowed the gatherings held in the county of 

 Durham. Noteworthy among the noblemen 

 who patronized coursing in the purely sportman- 

 like fashion was the Duke of Cleveland. He 

 maintained a kennel for some years, but never 

 ran any of its inmates at public gatherings, rather 

 preferring to test their merits by drawing them 

 in ' eights ' and running them privately within the 

 area of the park at Raby. His kinsman, the 

 present Lord Barnard, though in nowise a 

 breeder or runner of greyhounds, indirectly 

 countenances coursing ; for since he inherited 

 the Raby estates he has in the most open-handed 

 manner given permission for public meetings to 

 be held on his preserves by the North of England 

 Club under the secretaryship of Mr. Thomas 

 Snowdon, and latterly under the direction in the 

 same position of the present writer. In like 

 manner Lord Barnard has given the necessary 

 leave on other lands which he owns in the 

 county. Prominent among other noblemen and 

 gentlemen who have conceded like facilities may 

 be mentioned the Earl of Ravensworth on the 

 Ravensworth estate, and over his preserves at 

 Eslington in the county of Northumberland. 

 The present Earl of Durham too, like his fore- 

 bears, has been a patron, though not an ardent 

 courser himself ; the Chase and the Turf having 

 possessed more attractions for his house since the 

 days of Ralph Lambton, who for many seasons 

 hunted the county. Within the same category 

 in recent years we must mention the late Mr. 

 John Bowes, Mr. Shafto, Mr. Pemberton of 

 Hawthorn, and Major Vaux of Grindon, the 

 Marquess of Londonderry, and Mr. V. W. 

 Corbett, J.P., who holds the shooting rights over 

 Lord Londonderry's West Rainton estate. For 

 nearly quarter ofa century the North of England 

 Club has held periodical meetings at West 

 Rainton, which is not an ideal coursing country, 

 surrounded as it is by a mining population and 

 intersected by roads and footpaths. It would 

 appear somewhat remarkable that hares can be 

 preserved in such a district ; but it is gratifying 

 to find that by way of return for the permission 

 to run their greyhounds the miners act as so 

 many game preservers, a code of honour existing 

 amongst them to co-operate with the patrons of 

 meetings in the preservation of game. Yet a 



more wonderful coursing territory was that at 

 West Stanley, where Major W. G. Joicey, a 

 large colliery owner in the district, was the 

 patron of the meetings held there from time to 

 time, some twenty-five to thirty years ago. For 

 a period Major Joicey ran a few greyhounds ; 

 one of the most notable being that grand bitch 

 Haytime, which he bought from the Messrs. 

 Heslop, now of Kirby Moor, near Brampton, for 

 400. 



The district round about Barnard Castle has 

 been long celebrated for its coursing re-unions. 

 The writer can recall old Mr. Errington 

 judging some of the meetings here when he was 

 well advanced in years. He never wore the red 

 coat or hunting cap of the orthodox judge, 

 rather favouring a high silk hat and cut-away 

 swallowtails. About that period the late Mr. 

 George Maw of Bishop Auckland was running a 

 sterling greyhound named Weardale, of which 

 old Mr. Errington was a great admirer. On 

 one occasion when the dog had won a course, he 

 shouted ' Weardale's won ' which was contrary 

 to all rule, for it is presumed that a judge is igno- 

 rant of the names of dogs that may be engaged, 

 while he should never signify his decision other- 

 wise than by calling the colour of the winning 

 dog, or signalling the white or red handkerchief. 

 But rules were, perhaps, more elastic in those 

 days than they are under the stern jurisdiction 

 of the National Coursing Club. 



The present Sir William and Lady Eden 

 have also patronized the sport in recent years as 

 owners of greyhounds and by laying open the 

 fine Windlestone estate to the public courser. 

 Here again the North of England Club held one 

 and sometimes two meetings a year. An abun- 

 dant stock of game of the right straight-backed 

 sort was always to be met with at Windlestone, 

 with the result that the trials were of the best, 

 and afforded the highest enjoyment to the people 

 of the countryside, who regard the ' Coursing ' as 

 so many red letter days in the monotony of their 

 lives. 



Perhaps the most notable of Durham coursers 

 was the late Mr. George Gregson of Warden 

 Law, near Houghton le Spring. He coursed 

 for upwards of half a century, his love of ' the 

 comeley greyhound ' and the ancient sport being 

 unabated up to the end of his long life. Even 

 when he was over eighty years of age he bred 

 and reared dogs and followed them to slips. His 

 unabated passion for the sport was equalled only 

 by that of the late Lord Masham, who like Mr. 

 Gregson, went far and near to see his greyhounds 

 run, attending the Waterloo meetings until he 

 was approaching ninety years of age. The last 

 litter bred by Mr. Gregson includes Hongleton, 



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